NASA announced Tuesday that its space shuttle fleet will retire to locations in New York, Virginia, California, and Florida.

The space agency will be send four shuttle orbiters to various locations around the U.S., where they will be on public display after the fleet retires later this year.

Shuttle Enterprise, the first shuttle orbiter built, is currently on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. It will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

Shuttle Endeavour, which is scheduled to launch for its last trip to the International Space Station on April 29, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Finally, Shuttle Atlantis, which has a June launch date, will stay close to homethe Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex in Florida.

"This was a very difficult decision, but one that was made with the American public in mind. In the end, these choices provide the greatest number of people with the best opportunity to share in the history and accomplishments of NASA's remarkable Space Shuttle Program," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. "These facilities we've chosen have a noteworthy legacy of preserving space artifacts and providing outstanding access to U.S. and international visitors."

More than two dozen museums and organizations were vying for the chance to display one of the shuttles. As a consolation prize, NASA is doling out shuttle artifacts to certain organizations.

Orbital maneuvering system engines: U.S. Space and Rocket Center of Huntsville, Ala., National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.

New York's Intrepid said it is "thrilled" to welcome Enterprise to its museum. "More than 150,000 people signed the petition to help bring a space shuttle to New York City, and we expect more than a million people a year will come to Intrepid to see, first hand, this vehicle that advanced our nation's exploration of space," it said in a statement.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, meanwhile, said "there's no space like home. Welcome home, Atlantis!" The space shuttles take off and land from Kennedy Space Center.

"This is a proud moment for space shuttle workers, Brevard County and Florida," Bill Moore, chief operating officer of KSC Visitor Complex, said in a statement. "We are honored to be entrusted with space shuttle Atlantis, to preserve this remarkable, national treasure and share the space shuttle story with millions of visitors from around the world."

The $100 million structure that will house Atlantis will be "marquee element" for the KSC Visitor Center's 10-year plan. The 65,000 square-foot area will let visitors view the space shuttle in flight, show how the spacecraft worked in space, and let people see the vehicle up-close. Officials plan to break ground in 2012 and hold a grand opening in 2013.

Discovery will be placed James S. McDonnell Space Hangar in Chantilly, Virginiawhich has housed Enterprise since 2003.

"Discovery will join the ranks of treasures such as the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. Discovery represents innovation, ingenuity and the effort to make spaceflight a regular activity in the life of the nation," said Valerie Neal, space shuttle program curator in the museum's Division of Space History.

NASA isn't just handing over the shuttles free of charge. If you're an educational institution or museum interested in taking one of the shuttles off NASA's hands, it could set you back almost $30 million. A 2010 document about shuttle placement says that "the cost to complete display preparation for each Orbiter and ferry the Orbiter to its ultimate display location is updated to $28.8 million."

Chloe Albanesius has been with PCMag.com since April 2007, most recently as Executive Editor for News and Features. Prior to that, she worked for a year covering financial IT on Wall Street for Incisive Media. From 2002 to 2005, Chloe covered technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University...
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